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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23324092">A Familiar Forecast</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShortestManOnEarth/pseuds/TheShortestManOnEarth'>TheShortestManOnEarth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jam Bud Week 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Contact - Freeform, Jam Bud Week 2020, Sleep, college age characters, light fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:20:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,564</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23324092</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShortestManOnEarth/pseuds/TheShortestManOnEarth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven is driving home from college when a blizzard hits. With the memory of their snow day as kids fresh in their minds, Connie and Steven decide to wait out the storm together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connie Maheswaran &amp; Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jam Bud Week 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1673545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Steven Universe Completed Recommended Reads</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Familiar Forecast</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey All,</p>
<p>This is my Contact/sleep submission for Jam Buds Week 2020. I ended up not really choosing between the contact or sleep option. This fic is a mix of both.  I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. It feels a little unfinished so I may come back to it later. To be decided later. </p>
<p>This also takes place in the same world as my Someday fic (post fic). </p>
<p>Hope you all enjoy it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> What started out as a pleasant drive from his college campus to the outskirts of Beach City turned into a blurry flurry as the beginnings of a blizzard like Steven hadn’t seen since the snow day that had stalled Little Homeschool over two years ago. He sighed as his windshield wipers attempted to keep up with the snow. It was making it harder and harder to see what he was doing. 

	</p><p>  The roads were almost completely invisible beneath the piled up white. Steven bit his lip. At this rate he wouldn’t be able to get to Beach City without worrying about crashing the car again. That wasn’t an option. Connie would have some  choice words if he did. The thought of worrying her filled his mind as he continued to attempt to navigate the barrage of falling snow. As if on cue, his phone buzzed, and he saw Connie’s photo pop on his screen as it sat on the phone holder on his dashboard. She’d bought it for him, insisting it was safer if he didn’t keep looking down at his lap. Since the accident, she’d done everything humanly possible to make sure Steven was safe when he went out for a drive. 

	</p><p>  He sighed and clicked the answer button. “Hey, Connie.” Steven smiled. Her face smiled back. 
	</p><p>  “Hey, did you make it back to Beach City yet? I saw the weather report and there’s a blizzard heading your way.” 
	</p><p>  Steven couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. “Uh, no. I’m actually trying to drive through it right now.” 

	</p><p>  Connie’s eyes narrowed. “You’re what?!” He swore that he could hear the dozens of creative curses she was muttering to herself in her head with the intensely concerned look she shot him over the video call. “Steven, are you seriously trying to drive through a blizzard? You’re worse than my Dad.” That made him wince. She wasn’t beating around the bush. “Pull over right now.”

	</p><p>  He didn’t dare argue with her. Connie wasn’t someone he could argue with when she decided she’d made up her mind. Moreover, he had no ability to argue with her when she had his poor heart wrapped around her fingers. She didn’t know that. But whenever he thought he was hurting or worrying her, the fight went out of him. There was nothing fair or nice about it. He also knew her family had been safety oriented for years. 

	</p><p>  “You can stay with me tonight, I’m coming to get you on Lion,” Connie said. Steven’s mind flooded with a million objections. 
	</p><p>  “Wait, Connie, don’t you have a roommate? Or tests to study for?” Steven said. None of his words seemed to reach her because he could see her moving around in her dorm room, collecting her coat, scarf and pulling on her boots. 
	</p><p>  “I’m on break, Steven. Jess left this afternoon to head home,” Connie stated plainly, not missing a beat. She paused to look at the screen. “And I want you to be safe.” Steven knew he’d lost this battle before it even started. Well, he’d  given it a valiant effort. But Connie was a master of strategy when it came to saying just the right thing to get him to concede. “Where are you?”

	</p><p>  Steven sighed, texting the location his phone. She nodded as he heard the clicking noises of her typing the location into her GPS. Lion would figure the rest out. “Be there in a minute. Stay put.” Steven put the car in park and sat back. His eyes watched the snow as it fell. Through the dark night and white flurries, he saw a bright flash of light. A pink portal appeared, and Lion leapt out, Connie perched on his back. She made her way to his car, rapping on the window to get his attention. Not that she needed to. He’d been watching her since she appeared. 

	</p><p>  He opened the door and stepped out. “I guess I’ll just have to leave this here.” With a sigh he resigned to locking the Dondai. He hated leaving it here, but it wasn’t like anyone was going to find it in this mess. After fishing his travel bag and a couple things from inside, he locked the car and joined Connie on top of Lion. 

	</p><p>  “Ready?” She asked. He nodded and slipped his arms around her waist. It was the opposite of what they’d done as kids. She’d spent a lot more time with Lion than he had over the last few years. Especially with their campuses being so far apart, Lion had been the necessary bridge. As they traveled through the familiar portal, Steven felt gratitude for the pink cat. Without him he’d be stuck in a blizzard or probably wouldn’t have survived the crash a few years ago. A quick shake of his head blocked that memory. <em>Not going to go there.</em>

	</p><p>------------------------------------

</p><p>  Once inside, Connie made Steven change out of his clothes so he wouldn’t get sick. He would have to do laundry once he got to Beach City if this blizzard held out. He put on his loose striped pajama bottoms and a t-shirt in the bathroom and saw that Connie had also donned her sleepwear when he emerged. 

	</p><p>  “Sorry for dropping in on you like this,” He said. “I know you probably had stuff planned.” Connie sighed. He had that guilty look on his face that she’d come to understand was directly connected to everything that happened on Homeworld, his gem fights, and more recently, the car accident. 

	</p><p>  “Steven, I’m the one who told you to come here,” She said. “You’re welcome here. Any time.” 

	</p><p>  “I could have driven through it,” Steven said quietly. There was a pause before Connie responded to his comment. She crossed the room to where he stood in the doorway of the bathroom. 
	</p><p>  “And maybe crashed,” She put in. “To prove what exactly?” He opened his mouth and then shut it. It was a reckless plan and one that he couldn’t justify. After all this time, he still had a poor metric for deciding what things were reasonable risks. Fighting alongside the gems had skewed his sense of normal. When he didn’t respond, Connie lifted her hands to squish his cheeks. He met her eyes and couldn’t help but smile. Whenever she squished his cheeks, he felt any stress he felt slide off him, like she’d squished it right out of his body. 

	</p><p>  “Yeah, I guess that wasn’t a good idea,” Steven admitted. Connie seemed to accept the answer because she pulled away. Immediately Steven missed the warmth of her hands on his face. He lightly touched where her fingers had been moments before with his own hand. She wasn’t paying attention anymore though, so he breathed a sigh of relief. Explaining why he was touching his own face and wishing it was her hands would be one conversation he wasn’t sure his heart could handle right now. 

	</p><p>  “Do you want some hot chocolate?” Connie asked, turning to look at him from where she stood in front of the dorm apartment’s stove. Since it was technically a common room space for a quad, there was a small kitchen in the center of the four rooms. She didn’t wait for an answer. Steven’s grin was enough of an answer. 

	</p><p>  “We should roast some marshmallows,” Steven said. Connie lifted an eyebrow at him. 

	</p><p>  “Aren’t you a vegetarian?” She asked. One of the things Steven had learned while hanging out with Connie years ago during another snowstorm was that marshmallows were not vegetarian. 
	</p><p>  “You can eat mine,” Steven said. Connie chuckled and went to one of the cabinets to pull out a bag. She tossed it to him. 

</p><p>  “You’re sweet, but I’ve got you covered.” Steven looked down at the bag of vegan marshmallows.

	</p><p>  “Connie, you didn’t have to do that,” Steven said. As much as he felt badly that she went out of her way for him, he also felt his stomach do a flop at the thought that she’d made sure to have some food for him in her apartment. He didn’t even visit that many times a year. 
	</p><p>  “I wanted to, Silly,” Connie said as she turned on the stovetop. They spent a few minutes trying to figure out how to “roast” marshmallows on a gas stove. It wasn’t perfect and a few burned failures were tossed into the trash for their efforts. 

	</p><p>  After a couple more attempts and lots of giggling, they made their way back into the common room. They sat on either side of the couch and sipped their hot chocolate. 

	</p><p>  “This reminds me a lot of when we got snowed in at your parents’ house,” Steven said. Connie lightly punched his arm.

	</p><p>  “Stop reading my mind! I was thinking about that too,” She said, sipping her drink and looking over  at him. He remembered them talking about getting snowed in together. How badly they wanted to sit together and watch the snow fall. It was so simple, yet it seemed like the most exciting thing to them at the time. She’d snuck down to sit by the couch to watch the snow with him. It was a small act of rebelliousness, but full of warmth. Back then he didn’t question why he wanted to sit with her. Or she with him. They were just two kids, two best friends whose eyes met as they sat in front of the hearth in the Beach House, imagining what it would be like to watch the snow fall on the world outside. 

	</p><p>  “I was afraid Mom and Dad would wake up and tell me to go to bed,” Connie said, catching Steven off guard. His eyes flicked to her smirk. 
	</p><p>  “Yeah, I wondered that too,” Steven agreed, taking a long drink of his hot chocolate. 

	</p><p>  “I just know I didn’t want my time with you to end.” Steven coughed and sniffed as hot chocolate spilled down his front. Connie looked up in alarm as he tried to wipe the hot liquid off him.

	</p><p>  “Whoa, Steven, are you okay?” Connie asked him. “Did you burn yourself?” She was up instantly to check on him before he could tell her he was fine. She grabbed some paper towels from the pantry and was dabbing at his shirt without a moment’s pause. He blinked as she tuned his hands over to check for burns. That was her mother’s influence. The doctor instincts. Even though she’d chosen another career path, Connie was always making sure Steven was taking care of himself. Normally it was just small reminders or occasionally things like her buying him food when he visited. But this was different. The way she gently took his hands and examined them for burns had a different kind of closeness. She hadn’t even hesitated before she got close and began to clean his shirt. 

	</p><p>  Satisfied that Steven wasn’t hurt, Connie sat back and picked up his mug. “Do you want more?” He could still feel his heart thudding in his chest. Her hands on his shirt, his hands, and his face earlier was too much. 
	</p><p>  “Steven?” He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. 
	</p><p>  “Uh, yeah, I just need to go the bathroom and change this shirt,” He said, a little too quickly. Her eyes followed him with concern as he grabbed a spare shirt from his bag and then disappeared into the bathroom. With a deep heavy sigh, he leaned on the sides of the sink. 

	</p><p>  They were just drinking hot chocolate and hanging out. Why was he like this? Steven dragged his fingers through his hair. She was probably worried about his weird behavior. The young woman he’d grown up with was always incredibly observant and that trait had only grown sharper as she’d gotten older. All he wanted was to spend time with her, watch the snow, and have fun like they used to. Why were things so complicated now? He mussed his hair in frustration. 

	</p><p>  “Steven? Are you okay in there?” His eyes went to the door. He could see her shadow under the crack at the bottom. <em>Good going, Universe. You’ve worried her.</em>
	</p><p>  “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute,” Steven called. After taking a shaky breath, he finished changing his shirt and opened the door. Connie was standing there, one arm holding the opposite upper bicep. Her eyes looked down at the floor. She looked, embarrassed? 

	</p><p>  “Hey, I’m sorry if me touching you earlier made you uncomfortable,” She said, biting her lip. “I just, medical instincts kicked in, you know?” She said with a nervous smile. “Mom grilled it into me to react right away.” Steven felt guilt fill him. He’d made her feel badly because he was acting weird. 

	</p><p>  “No, no, it’s fine,” Steven assured her. “I’m just…tired, the drive was long,” He said with a laugh and rubbed his neck. Connie’s eyes looked him over silently as though scanning for any signs of discomfort, but, finding none, she sighed in relief. 
	</p><p>  “If you’re sure,” She said. He took her hands in his free one.
	</p><p>  “I’m sure,” He said, squeezing her hand. “Thank you.” She visibly relaxed and after a moment, they both drew back their hands. Each had a little blush on their cheeks, respectively trying to hide it from the other. 

	</p><p>  “Want to watch a movie?” Connie offered. Steven gladly accepted the chance to focus on something other than Connie. But as soon as they were settled back on the couch, he felt the nerves creep back up. They were sitting close to be able to share the small screen of Connie’s laptop. 
	</p><p>  “I found an old copy of Dogcopter,” Connie said, pulling it up on her desktop. His eyes widened. 
	</p><p>  “Where did you get that?” He searched her eyes. “You didn’t pirate it, did you?” His eyes gave her a fake scandalized look of shock. “Connie Maheswaran, breaking the law.” She rolled her eyes at him, though still smiling. 

	</p><p>  “A magician never reveals her secrets,” She said with a wink. “You in?” 
	</p><p>  “Of course!” Steven said, his eyes brightening. Connie smiled. It was good to see him energized again. He’d been acting so nervous and jumpy since he’d arrived that she wondered if she’d done something wrong. Or that he was thinking about gem stuff again. As the film keyed up, she watched his expression grow giddy. <em>Well, maybe he’s okay now.</em> 

	</p><p>  About fifteen minutes in they found a comfortable silence, both laughing and commenting on the cheesy graphics of the movie from their childhood. Connie only got up at one point to pop some popcorn in the microwave. When she returned, Steven was curled up against one of the armrests, sleeping soundly. He wasn’t kidding when he said he was tired. Though she knew that’s not why he was nervous earlier. She set down the bowl of popcorn and went to her room to grab a blanket. She returned and draped it over Steven, then tried to sit as gently as possible in order to not disturb him. He’d gotten better about his sleeping patterns, but she could tell he wasn’t getting enough still. 

	</p><p>  She continued to watch the movie, though it was hardly holding her attention at this point. Her eyes alternated from watching the film out of the corner of her eye, the snowing falling outside, and Steven’s sweet face as he slept peacefully. She looked up as something exploded in the film. Steven sat up abruptly at the noise, looking furtively around the apartment. His breathing quickened. 
	</p><p>  “What happened?” He said, his hand going to his gem instinctively. Connie laid a hand on his shoulder, regret at how his slumber had been cut short. His eyes hadn’t stopped searching the room for any sign of an enemy. “Are we under attack?” 
	</p><p>  “It was the movie,” Connie said, her heart aching at the distressed expression on his face. He turned to look at her and then he let out a low sigh.  When he saw the explosion fading on the screen of her computer, he continued sinking back against the couch, hands covering his face. Connie tapped the spacebar to pause the movie. 
	</p><p>  “Steven?” 
	</p><p>  “Connie, why am I like this?” He groaned into his fingers. 
	</p><p>  “Like what?” She asked, her tone dropping in seriousness. even though she already suspected where he was going with his question. Part of her hoped he wasn’t about to start beating up on himself the way he usually did when he felt like he was a burden on people. 
	</p><p>  “Like I can’t even enjoy a movie without freaking out!” Steven blurted, throwing his hands out away from his face to gesture at the computer. He reburied his face in his arms. Connie pushed his hands down. 

	</p><p>  “Hey, it’s okay,” Connie soothed, taking his hands in hers. Steven averted his eyes as tears threatened to fall. His fingers twitched and clenched into fists. She frowned and lifted his face to look at her. “What’s <em>really</em> wrong?” 
	</p><p>  Steven sighed. She wasn’t going to let this go. “I still get nightmares.” 
	</p><p>  “How often?” Connie pressed gently. A short pause followed. Clearly, he was thinking about trying to avoid answering the question. But she was relieved when he finally answered. 
	</p><p>  “It’s gotten better. But I still get them a lot,” He admitted. Her eyes scrutinized him as she mulled over his words. He’d mentioned over their phone conversations that he still had nightmares and that Max was helping him work through them. But if sounds had become a trigger, maybe he needed to address that directly. “I’m sorry for ruining the movie.” Connie let out an affectionate sigh. She shook her head at him. Leave it to Steven to miss the point of what she was trying to say. 
	</p><p>  “You didn’t ruin anything,” She said. “Your nightmares aren’t your fault, Steven.” He looked uncertain, chewing lightly on his lip. “I’ve seen the movie already anyways.” 
	</p><p>  “Are you sure?” Steven asked. “I know you love that franchise.” Déjà vu filled her as she thought of the words Steven had spoken when he’d overreacted about offending her about her favorite book series. 
	</p><p>  She took his face in hers, “Steven, I don’t know how many times I have to say this for you to get it, but <em>you</em> are what matters to me. Not a book series, not a movie, <em>you</em>, Steven Quartz Universe, are the most important thing in my life.”

	</p><p>  Connie’s tirade ended and a blush spread across her cheeks as she processed what she’d just passionately spouted at her best friend. 
	</p><p>  “I…wow,” Steven said. “Am I… am I really that important to you?” Connie blinked at him. For someone as bright, intelligent, and well versed in schmaltz as he was, Steven sure was oblivious when it came to recognizing others’ feelings towards him. Some things needed to be spelled out. '

	</p><p>  “Of course, you are,” Connie said, holding out a tissue to him. “I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you in my life.” 
	</p><p>  He chuckled. “Probably have some peace of mind.” She shot him a dry look. He shrunk into himself shamefully under her stare. 
	</p><p>  “The only way I’ll feel at peace is if you do,” Connie said. Steven’s eyes finally connected with hers. “Jam Buds or bust.” 
	</p><p>  He laughed, taking the tissue and wiping his eyes. “So, what are we going to do now?” She hummed thoughtfully. 
	</p><p>  “Watch the snow?” Connie suggested. “Just us this time.” Steven’s eyes sparkled as he smiled. 
	</p><p>  “I’d like that.” 
	</p><p>  After refilling the mugs of hot cocoa, grabbing extra blankets, pillows, and putting away the computer, they both sat back to watch the snow. Connie propped herself up against the far end of the couch. As she found her spot, she watched Steven change positions several times and cast nervous glances around the room. She leaned forward, touching his shoulder. 

	</p><p>  “Come here,” She said. Steven hesitated. They’d cuddled before and he’d slept in her lap a bunch of times, but that was as kids. 

	</p><p>  “But, are you sure it’s okay?” He pulled back. She gently took his hands again. There was so much fear in his eyes. All she wanted was to help him to relax. To allow him to return to the same comfort he had when they’d watched the snow as kids. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” 
	</p><p>  “I’m not,” Connie said, “Promise.” He paused and then relented, moving so his head was resting against Connie’s chest. She pulled the blanket over them. Steven’s body relaxed as he felt the soft rise and fall of Connie’s breathing under his head. 
	</p><p>  “It’s really beautiful,” Connie said, her eyes watching as the snow coated the small town outside. Her fingers absently ran through Steven’s hair. His eyelids drifted down a little. Exhaustion from driving for hours was finally setting in. 
	</p><p>  “Mm,” Steven hummed, not opening his eyes. “Connie?”
	</p><p>  “Yeah?” She felt him turn a little so his arm could wrap around her. 

	</p><p>  “You’re the most important person in my life too.” Hours passed as the snow continued to fall outside. Gusts of wind whipped cold air in all directions. Somewhere along the road the Dondai was buried under layers of snow. The forecast slated the blizzard to rage for a few more days. But none of those things mattered to the two best friends cuddled together on the couch, ensconced in mutual warmth.</p>
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